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Federal marijuana prohibition in the United States started with a knock on a Denver man's apartment door. Seventy-six years ago, Samuel Caldwell became the first person arrested and prosecuted under a federal charge of selling marijuana, after drug enforcement agents busted him with 3 pounds of cannabis in his apartment. Three-quarters of a century and an estimated 26 million marijuana arrests after Caldwell's, legal marijuana sales were set to start at 8 a.m. in Colorado.

On January 1, 2014, Colorado becomes the first place anywhere in the world to allow legal marijuana sales to anybody over 21 for any purpose. You have questions about how it will work? Since the voter-approved Amendment 64 (ah, there it is) went into effect on Dec. 10, 2012, it has been legal for anyone 21 and over to use marijuana or possess up to an ounce of marijuana for any purpose. Here are 64 answers to commonly asked questions.

In Rosario, Argentina, the presence of criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking was a low priority for the government until New Year’s day 2012, when the killing of three innocent civilians by members of a gang sparked press attention.

According to La Vie Eco, the Istiqlal Party has recently proposed a draft law to decriminalize and regulate the cultivation of cannabis for medical and pharmaceutical ends. The Istiqlal Party thus becomes the first party to take this issue to the parliament. The objective is to delimit the cultivation of cannabis to certain regions, namely Al Hoceima, Chaouen, Tétouan, Ouezzane and Taounate. Beyond these regions, the cultivation of this plant will be prohibited.

Juan Andres Palese was using a fake name in public when he opened Uruguay’s first store dedicated to cultivating marijuana, where he offered growing equipment and advice but no illegal plants or seeds. Now that President Jose Mujica’s plan to create and regulate the world’s first national marijuana market has the force of law, Palese’s got much bigger plans.

"Latin American countries can take the lead in ensuring that national, regional, and ultimately international drug control policies are carried out in accordance with respect for the human rights of people who use drugs and affected communities more broadly." Coletta Youngers

At least two of three marijuana legalization measures vying for the November, 2014 ballot would be good for California, according to the state Attorney General's office.The Marijuana Control, Legalization and Revenue Act would decrease drug enforcement costs and increase tax revenue, Attorney General Kamala Harris said this week. However, that initiative recently ran into a speed bump and might be cutting it close to a Feb. 28 deadline to file enough signatures to quality for the ballot.

The first licences in the United States that permit retailers to sell marijuana for recreational use from 1 January were issued in Colorado. Owners of cannabis dispensaries lined up to collect the permits in Denver: an initial batch of 42 licences were issued, most to growers but around a dozen to shops. The state already licenses more than 500 medical marijuana dispensaries, and only those outlets may apply to sell it for recreational use. (See also: Colorado issues first licenses for recreational marijuana businesses)

Uruguay's President Mujica has quietly signed into law the government’s plan to create a regulated, legal market for marijuana. He signed the legislation Monday night. That was the last formal step for the law to take effect. Bureaucrats now have until April 9 to write the fine print for regulating every aspect of the marijuana market, from growing to selling in pharmacies. They hope to have the whole system in place by the middle of next year. But as of Tuesday, growing pot at home is legal in Uruguay, up to six plants per family and an annual harvest of 480 grams.

Argentina has given the first sign that Uruguay’s groundbreaking cannabis reform just may have started a domino effect across Latin America. Following the momentous vote by its smaller neighbor’s senate this month — making it the first nation in the world to completely legalize the cannabis — Argentina’s anti-drug czar Juan Carlos Molina has called for a public discussion in his country about emulating the measure. His comments are the clearest sign yet that Uruguay’s strategy has kicked off a trend in the region.

An estimated 1,000 Israelis attended a rally in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square on Saturday night to support the legalization of marijuana. As the crowd chanted phrases like "The people demand legal marijuana," the speakers at the rally sought to frame pot smoking as part of Israel’s national culture, as a unifying factor among the country’s disparate groups and even as a security issue. Medical marijuana, which is hard for patients to receive permission to access, was central to the rally. (See also: Cabinet approves Health Ministry rules on medical marijuana)

The mayors of 25 Dutch local authority areas have increased their pressure on the cabinet to allow experiments with regulated marijuana production. The initiative is being powered by the mayors of Eindhoven and Heerlen and a Utrecht alderman, the Volkskrant said. The manifesto is a reaction to justice minister Ivo Opstelten’s decision not to approve experiments with regulated growing. (See also: The Netherlands is ready to regulate cannabis)

In Rosario, Argentina, the presence of criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking was a low priority for the government until New Year’s day 2012, when the killing of three innocent civilians by members of a gang sparked press attention.

International tensions over Uruguay’s decision to regulate cannabis reached new levels when Raymond Yans, president of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), accused Uruguay of having a "pirate attitude" towards the UN conventions.

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